Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 10, Issue 11 615-618, Copyright © 1991 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Significance of nonvisualization of the fetal urinary bladder
T. Clautice-Engle, D. H. Pretorius and N. E. Budorick
Department of Radiology, UCSD Medical Center.
The fetal urinary bladder was visualized sonographically in 1254 (94%) of
1335 consecutive fetuses of 14 weeks of development or older, but it could
not be seen in 81 cases (6%). Five of these cases were lost to follow-up
and were excluded from the study. Of the remaining 76 cases, 69 (91%) of
the pregnancies progressed to term, and the infants were normal at birth
and at 6 week perinatal follow-up. Seven (9%) of the fetuses had a variety
of associated obstetrical abnormalities that resulted in fetal demise or
termination of the pregnancy (oligohydramnios, hydrops, intrauterine growth
retardation [IUGR], ventriculomegaly, diaphragmatic hernia, cystic hygroma,
and triploidy). Notably, none of these were renal tract anomalies. We
concluded that (1) nonvisualization of the fetal urinary bladder with an
otherwise normal sonogram, including normal volume of amniotic fluid and
normal renal areas, is of no clinical concern and does not require
follow-up, and (2) nonvisualization of the fetal urinary bladder in the
setting of associated obstetrical abnormalities may be secondary to renal
tract anomalies or may only be a consequence of the associated
abnormalities.
